Step 3: On Welding

Step 4: Add Tires

Step 5: Speaking of Tongues

And then lash a bar on the front, so you can hitch up to a bike!

This is the quickest bike trailer I've ever made.

I like it because it's light and has plenty of space to lash) a new mattress) an old mattress) armloads of donuts to deliver to hungry clueless harvard students) all the computers you can find) monitors) old lab supplies to fortify your home

it's also a rolling music video stage. If you put WillBosworth ( howtern) on it, and he starts singing, film that.

Step 1: Construction

So this is going to become a bedframe with wheels.
I'm using bike wheels because they grow on trees around here.
I learned that bike wheels need bike forks.

Fortunately, bike forks also grow on trees.

I'm gonna weld this all together. You can also drill holes and use a pair of bolts.

I got the mattress frame from a dumpster labeled "Metal only"
At first I thought, "Should I be wearing more hairspray?"

When I popped over the edge of the dumpster, I realized what was meant: All the metal I've been looking for.
Pipes, angle iron, tubing, solid metal, - beds -
so I grabbed two bedframes like this and biked back to my favorite machine shop.

Step 2: Fashion

First, put on "Oh! The Grandeur!" by Andrew Bird.

I found out that waring a hankerchief on my head under a welding helmet is the best thing ever. Warm and comfy and cozy, it feels way better than the sweatband in the helmet, and makes everything fit perfectly.

Weld on!

Step 3: On Welding

Also, welding magnets are a fabulous idea. They exist to hold your metal at a right angle, and right where you want it.
Fortunately, all the metal I weld with this welder is ferromagnetic, so these are perfect every time.

I have that exact futon/sofabed frame. Anyone who wants to take it off my hands for this project ( or to use it as a bed even as I have all the pieces) is welcome to it gratis. markpopple@gmail.com. I live in the 510 berkeley to be precise

question for you... as soon as i find a free futon frame on craigslist i'm going to try making one of these trailers. is a 110 amp arc welder going to suffice for this project (i've NEVER welded anything before, you've inspired me on this one, i'm going to haul a kayak with it). is AC or DC preffered, or does it not generally matter? is there a general all-purpose rod that'll work with most metals? thanks!!

it's steel, and your welder will have instructions on whether AC or DC is used for steel. 110 amps is a helluva welder, and might be a bit much - be careful not to burn through the thin wall tubing of the futon frame.

Oh - and cool trailer, by the way! Are you concerned at all about the fact that all the weight will be resting on those two sideways welds? Seems like that would cause a lot of shear forces. I don't have any experience with welding, so I don't know how strong such welds would be. If you're going to use this as a performance platform, I could imagine someone jumping up and down on it in the heat of the moment, so it would have to be rated for more than just "several hundred pounds". Maybe add a short diagonal brace between the short end of the bed frame and the "shoulder" of the bike fork?

interesting but it looks like it could get topheavy and i would also put a brace betweer the tire forks but great way to salvage junk to treasure! (i did the same thing on my trailer thats on here) and you can ride this thing around coledge? it must be more flat there cuz in georgia i can barely pull the dog up hills!

About This Instructable

Bio:Hi! I'm Star Simpson! I'm a real me! See more at [http://stars.mit.edu stars.mit.edu].
photo by [http://bea.st/ Jeff Lieberman] (http://bea.st)
stasterisk - my name is Star, and when I wa...read more »